Aeroplane



W. A. IVCCRACKEN. AERUPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 4v, 191s.

L43@ 1 82,' ment-ed Nov. 21, 1922;.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES i NVENTOR.

W. A. NICCRACKEN. y AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FH."ED JAN. 4, 1918.

1,486, 1 82.. Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ML A TTG/m5 YJ Patented Nov. 21, i922.

ibi-36%@ cerisier o AEROPLANE.

Application led January 4, 1918.

To all l07mm 'it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM ARTHUR MGCRACKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joliet, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes, and, more particularly, to hydro-aeroplanes capable not only of flying but also of traveling on land and water.

The main object of my invention is to provide planes having adequate supporting surfaces which are so arranged as to require a clearance scarcely exceeding that of an automobile, whereby the danger of collision is reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide such a curvature in the supporting planes that a maximum lifting effect will be obtained at all speeds of the machine.

A further object is to provide a plane supporting body of such a construction and conformation as to offer a minimum of Aresistance to the progress of the machine, and capable of serving as an auxiliary lifting means.

A further object is to provide a steering means for use on land and water, and another for flying purposes, and a single control for both of said steering means.

And a further object is to provide suitable and conveniently operated control apparatus. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the machine as it appears when traveling on land;

F ig. 2 is a top plan view, a central frame member being broken away to avoid concealing the control apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,*clearly showing the transverse curvature of the supporting planes and also a supporting surface in the plane supporting body;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken through the control apparatus of the machine; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken through said apparatus.

Serial No. 210,337.

The preferred form of construction as shown in the drawings comprises a plane supporting body of triangular form in crosssection and comprising a central longitudinally extending frame member 1 located at the juncture of downwardly converging sides 2 and 3, the former being at the front of the machine and the latter at the rear thereof. The upper edges of sides 2 and 3 are joined to the lateral edges of horizontally disposed top members 4 and 5 which are arranged, respectively, at the front and rear of the machine and are of a length equal to said sides. Top members 4 and 5 serve as auxiliary supporting planes, and member 4 offers a degree of protection in stormy weather to the aviator seated on seat 6, and the motor 7, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Motor 7 may be secured in any wellknown manner, but the location thereof must be suiiiciently high to prevent the propeller 8 from striking the water when the machine is traveling on water. Said motor is omit# ted in Fig. 3 to avoid confusion in reading this figure, but'the motor is arranged in one end of the plane supporting body substantially centrally thereof, as will be clear by reference to Fig. 2.

The plane supporting body is hingedly connected to a boat 9 at points 10, there being Substantially vertical struts 11 and braces 12 and 13 rigidly positioning the pivotal connections, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. rlhese pivots or hinges are in the same vertical plane as a pair of boat-supporting wheels 14 mounted on the ends of a axle 15, which may be somewhat flexible, if desired, to serve as a shock-absorber.

In order to begin a flight when traveling on land or water, it is deemed necessary to tilt the plane supporting body with reference to boat 9, and to this end a toggle-joint connection 16 is provided at the rear end of said boat, as shown in Fig. 1. A connecting rod 17 extends from toggle-joint 16 to an operating lever 13 which, when pushed forward, will lower the rear end of the plane supporting` body, thus giving a suitable angle for flight. v

The rear of the machine is supported by a swiveled wheel 19 which serves as a steering wheel on land. Arms 20 extend from the swiveled shaft of wheel 19, and wires 21 connect said arms with a pivoted foot-pedal 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Wheels 14 and 19 are of the `sheet-metaLdislrL variety to reduce air and water resistance, and this construction permits wheel 19 to be used as a rudder when the machine is traveling in water. Foot-pedal 22 is connected to a rudder 23, as well as to wheel 19, for steering purposes while flying, wires 24 being connected to rudder arms 25 and pedal 22 in this construction.

The main planes 26 of the machine are transverselycurved and elongated longitudinally, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The inner edges of these planes meet the upper corners of the triangular supporting body therefor, and the direction of curvature thereof is upwardly, outwardly, and downwardly. This conformation affords longitudinal pockets to retain air or at least to reduce lateral slippage thereof, whereby the greatest possible efliciency is obtained. And, due tothe longitudinal disposition of planes 26 and the general narrowness of the machine the same may be driven in streets and over roads where conventional aeroplanes are excluded.

The control devices of the machine include ay steering wheel 27 having a shaft 28 splined to a shaft 29, which is journaled in bearings 30. Said bearings depend from member 1, as shown in Fig. 1. Arranged parallel to shaft 29 and journaled in bearings 30 is a shaft 31 carrying a gear 32 and a sprocket 33. Gear 32 meshes with a similar driving 'gear 34 carried by shaft 29, there being a sprocket 332L on shaft 29 similar to sprocket 33. Pivoted to a bearing block 35 carried by shaft 28 is a substantially U-shaped rocking member 36 having slots 37 in side arms thereof. A stationary transversely extending rod 38 passesl through slots 37, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. It will thus be seen that when wheel 27 is turned that sprockets 33 and 33 will rotate in opposite directions and move control wires to be described hereinafter. In order to rock member 36, wheel 27 is moved forward or backward, slots 37 permittingsuch movement; the function of the splined connection to shaft 29 being to permit rotation of said wheel during the reciprocating movements thereof.

An elevating plane 39 is pivoted to the rear of member 5 and'provided with arms 40, which are connected by means of wires 41 and 42 to the U-shaped rocking member 36.' Wire 41 connects with the right-hand armof member 36 above rod 38, and wire 42 connects with the left-hand arm below said rod, as shown in Fig. 2. From this construction it will be seen that a pushing movement on steering wheel 27 will raise plane' 39, the effect of which is to direct the machine upward duringflight. A pull on steering wheel 27 will depress plane 39 and direct the machine earthward as in volplanmg.l

Ailerons orstabilizers 43 and44 are pivoted"in"axial alignment'with elevating plane to a rod 53 extending transversely across the 'front of the machine, and normally float 1n the air to the rear of said rod. In order to bring these planes into service for elevating the front of the machine wires 54 terminating in handles 55 are pulled bythe aviator.

In thecontrol of the machine, a clockwise movement of steering wheel 27 will effect a clockwise movement of sprocket 33a and a counter-clockwise movement of sprocket 33, the result of which movements is to depress ailerons 43 and raise aileron 44, as

shown in Fig. 1. The object of sucha movement by the aviator is to restore equilibrium of the machine or to bank the same when it is desire-d to make a turn to the right. A counter-clockwise movement of the steering wheel will bank the machine for making a turnto the left.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the action of planes 52 is to augment the effect of elevating plane 39 for directing the machine upwards, it being necessary to employ these planes only when it is desired to make a sudden and quick ascent in cases of emergency.

An important feature ofthis aeroplane is that the center of gravity is below thesupporting planes, whereby equilibrium is automatically maintainedwithout special devices to accomplish this purpose.

Machine guns, as indicated at 56, `may be carried in boat 9 which constitutes the fuselage of the machine; and since the machine is capable of traveling on land and water,

as well as flying, it is especiallyadapted for war purposes. Y

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, there might be variations Vand modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim. y

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

A self propelled flying machine comprising a plane supporting 'body in the form of an inverted isosceles triangle in cross-section, the base portion of which forms' a supporting plane, transversely curved, longiplane supporting body, and control devices operatively connected to said ailerons, elevating plane, and rudder.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM ARTHUR MCCRACKEN. 

